Remember the dude who led Michigan in three-point shooting last season? The 6'7 forward who was playing like a first-round pick until a foot injury in the Big Ten Tournament? The kid who grew up in Kalamazoo and blossomed into a star for the Wolverines?
Remember Isaiah Livers, the 23-year-old the Pistons drafted 42nd overall last July?
He’s about to get his shot in Detroit.
With the Pistons opening the second half of the season Thursday, Dwane Casey said Wednesday that the club wants to get a real look at Livers over the next few months.
“We want to see and evaluate how he fits in," Casey said.
Livers did appear in one game for the Pistons earlier this season, but he’s spent most of the year in the shadows rehabbing from foot surgery last April. It appears he's good to go. He'll have a chance to make an immediate impact for a team that's second to last in the NBA in points per game and three-point shooting.
When the Pistons drafted Livers, GM Troy Weaver said they were drawn to his touch from beyond the arc – he hit on 43 percent of his attempts last season at Michigan. But more than that, Weaver like the varied attributes of a player who ranked second in the Big Ten in offensive rating the same year he ranked 12th in defensive rating.
"He’s competitive, he’s tough, he’s selfless and he can shoot," Weaver said. "Been watching Livers quite a while. Great feel for the game, great size and he lends versatility to the group as well. We're excited to have him."
Now we get to see what Livers can do. His size and shooting makes him an obvious candidate to be a 3-and-D guy in the NBA, much like Saddiq Bey was last season. But with room to grow in year two, Bey has become a much more complete player.
Maybe something similar awaits Livers, the next 6'7 wing taking the floor for Detroit.